Sole-splitting machine.



EN @TATES PATENT EDWIN A. WEBSTER, 0F PLAISTOW', NEVJ I-EAMFSHIRE,ASSIGNOR '1"0 UNITED SHOE v MACHINERY COMPANY, JERSEY.

OF PATERSON, NEVI JERSEY,

a conronefrron or NEW SOLE-SPLITTING MACHINE.

1,225,9ilil.

Application filed September 7, 1915.

To o'ZZ whom i may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. EBSTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plaistow, in the county of Rockingham and State of NewHampshire, have invented an Improvement in Sole-Splitting Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for splitting the heel-portion of thesoles of shoes, so that a thin tongue, or flap may be turned up from thegrain side of the leather to cover the breast-portion of a wood heel.

ln machines of this character it is customary to provide a bed having afiat, corrugated, sole-supporting surface and a splitting knife which isdisposed in parallel relation to said surface, and transversely thereof,together with means for causing the bed or the knife to be movedreciprocally, one with relation to the other, to split 01T the tonguefrom the heel of the sole.

In the particular machine illustrated, and in which my invention isembodied, the splitting knife is held stationary and the bed isreciprocated therebeneath, but it is not essential to my inventionWhether the bed or the knife be reciprocated.

In machines of this character the sole is pressed onto the bed, so thatit will not be moved out of position thereon, by various means, commonforms being a presser roll 0r a presser bar which bears on the sole inadvance of the knife edge.

Machines of this character frequently perform their workunsatisfactorily for the reason that the flap, which is split off, isnot of uniform thickness, or is unduly stretched, or is torn off, damageof this sort frequently rendering the sole unfit for use as a sole.Variations in thickness ofthe flaps, which are split off, are due tovarious causes, one of which is the variation in the substance, orhardness of different soles, or different portions of the same solo.That is, variations in hardness of the leather will vcause variations inthe extent towhich the knife will dig into the saine as the splittingoperation proceeds. Moreover, evcn if there is no substantial variationin hardness, the knife will frequently split off a flap of increasingthickness from the heel end of the sole, as its beveled edge tends tolift the sole more and more from the bed, as it advances, and whileSpecification of Letters Patent.

i least stretched out of shape.

Patented May i5, i917. Serial No. 49,205.

this action may be very gradual the dierence in thickness at the end andat the shank may be varied to a marked degree.

A further diiiiculty, which is encountered, arises from the tendency ofthe machine to stretch or tear off the flap on its return motion, or asthe sole is carried back beneath the presser gage. To prevent the knifefrom digging into the sole, or lifting it up at some points more thanothers, Ait is necessary to have the presser-gage bear ou the sole withconsiderable force, and as close to the knife edge as practicable, butwhen this is donc, the presser bears with so much' force on thesole,during the return motion, that the flap is frequently torn off, orat The object of my invention is to provide machine of the abovedescribed character with means for holding the sole against the bed in.such a manner that the flaps, which are split off, will be of uniformthickness throughout, under all conditions, and will not be stretched,torn, or otherwise injured by the machine when the motion of the partsis reversed.

I accomplish this object by providing a form of sole gage which isadapted and arranged to engage and bear sharply on the sole surface insufficiently close proximity to the knife edge and with sufficient forceto prevent the knife from digging into, or lifting up the sole, and thussplitting o a flap which is thicker in some portions than in others, andwhich is adapted to yield to permit the iap to pass freely between itand the knife, on the return motion of the bed, so that the possibilitythat the flap will be torn ofi', or stretched, is obviated.

For a more complete understanding of my invention, reference is made tothe accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure l is a plan view of the bed portion of a sole-splitting machineembodying my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are longitudinal sectional views thereof.

Fig. 4 is a front end view.

Fig. 5 is a detail end view of the presser, or sole holding gage.

In the drawing a indicates the frame 0f a sole splitting machine of thetype above re- 105 ferred to, I; the bed, and c the splitting knife,said bed having a flat, corrugated, sole-receiving face and havingmeans, as the connecting rod d, for reciprocating the same beneath theknife, between predetermined limits, and at right angles to its cuttingedge.

According to my invention a sole-holding gage e is rotatably mounted inlugs f at each side of the guide-ways in which the bed reciprocates,said presser having one or more sole-engaging po-rtions c', e', either,or any one of which may be employed, and each of which is provided witha curved sole-engaging surface e2, which terminates in a face c3,disposed in a plane which extends approximately radially with relationto the axis about which the gage swings, and parallel thereto. Said gageis adjusted and arranged such a position that the edge e4, provided atthe meeting of the surfaces c2, c3, is held above and in advance of thecutting edge of the knife, at a distance equal to, or corresponding tothe desired thickness of the flap to be split 0E. A set screw g ismounted in an angle bracket L, in position to engage said gage at aconvenient point, as one of the surfaces e3, so as to prevent the edgec4 from being swung reari' wardly over the knife, tion above referredto.

A coiled spring 7c is arranged about one trunnion of the gage inposition to rotate the gage in a direction to cause it to be normallyheld against saidV stop-screw g. ln practice the bed may be pressedupwardly against the gage e by springs, as c', or the gage and knifemay, obviously, be pressed down by spring action.

In operation, the gage c holds the sole firmly in position on the bed,so that its upper surface is firmly held in a predetermined relation tothe knife. lVhen thus held, the knife will not lift up the sole or bepermitted to dig into it to a greater depth at one point than atanother, and, as a result, the Hap, which is split off, will be ofuniform thickness. n the return motion of the bed, to withdraw the sole,the gage is swung back against the action of the spring 7c by thefriction of the sole thereagainst, so that the edge c4c is carried backfrom the knife edge and up from the bed, the space therebetween thusbeing increased to a sufficient extent to relieve all strain from theflap, and permit it to pass freely therebetween, as shown in Fig. 5. Alldanger that the flap will be pulled off, stretched or otherwise damaged,is thus avoided, and, as soon as the sole is carried out of contact withthe gage, thespring swings it back to its normal position, or inposition to engage the next sole.

When one sole-engaging-portion becomes worn, sov that itis uneven,another'portion may be moved into position, and, when it is or beyondthe posidesired to make all the sole-engaging surfaces level or true,the gage may be placed in a lathe and this work readily accomplished.

l claim l. A sole-splitting machine having a splitting knife and a solesupporting bed, means to reciprocate said knife and bed relatively, apresser gage for holding the sole against the bed in proximity to theknife edge, and means permitting said gage to move out of effectivepressing engagement with the sole on the return movement of thereciprocatingl part.

2. A sole-splitting machine having a splitting knife and a solesupporting bed, means to reciprocate said knife and bed relatively, apresser gage, means for causing said gage to press the sole firmlyagainst the bed in proximity to the knife edge during the forwardmovement, and means permitting the sole-engaging portion of sai gage tomove away from the bed and the knife edge on the return movement of thereciprocating part, whereby the pressure of the gage upon the sole isgreater during the forward movement than during the return movement.

3. A sole-splitting machine having a splitting knife and asole-supporting bed, means to reciprocate said knife and bed relatively,a presser-gage having a sole-engaging face normally extending intoproximity to the knife edge and terminating abruptly at that point, andmeans permittingmovement of said gage to carry its soleengaging faceaway from the knife-edge and the surface of the bed, at the beginning ofthe return movement of the reciprocating part.

4. A sole-splitting machine having a splitting knife and asole-supporting bed, means to reciprocate said knife and bed relatively,a presser-gage mounted above the bed to swing about an axisapproximately parallel to the knife-edge, and having a kcurved facearranged to engage the sole in proximity to the knife edge, and recessedover the edge portion of the knife to terminate said face abruptly, anda stop for limiting the swinging movement of said gage toward the knife.

5. A sole-splitting machine lraving a splitting knife and asole-supporting bed, means to reciprocate said knife and bed relatively,a presser-gage mounted above the b ed to swing about an axisapproximately parallel to the knife-edge, and having a curved facearranged to engage the sole in proximity to the knife edge, and recessedover the edge portion of the knife to ter- Y minate said face abruptly,a .stop for limiting the swinging movement of the Vgage toward theknife, and means to hold said gage yieldingly in engagement with lsaidstop.

6. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, aStationary knife, a stock supporting bed, means for reciprocating saidbed to cause the knife to produce a Hap on the stock and then to beWithdrawn, a gage for pressing the stock against the bed in advance ofthe knife, and means for causing the gage to exert a greater pres-Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressinWashington, D. C.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWIN AQWEBSTER. Vitness:

L. H. HARRIMAN.

g the Commissioner of Patente,

